H.T.’s Corner

Rose DesRochers of “Today’s Writing” interviews H. Thomas Saylor

When did you first become interested in writing and poetry?
As a youngster writing was something that came easier for me than for many of my classmates. I think it was because my mother loved to read, and she was a real stickler for spelling, punctuation and grammar. She always took time to quiz me on all of my homework, and we always spent extra time on English.

I remember winning a couple of school writing contests. As a child when you do well at something and get recognition, it helps build your confidence. I remember starting to craft little paragraphs and stories just for the fun of it. As far as my interests in poetry, there was this storyteller that would come to our grade school once a year and recite poems. With her raspy voice and exaggerated facial expressions she had this way of making the poems and stories come to life. I loved it, and in my mind these many (too many to mention) years later can still picture her face and hear her voice.

In regards to your writing, have you had a mentor?
Other than the guidance and encouragement from my mother, I really can’t say I have had a mentor as such, but there have been two other people that have been influential. One of those was my aunt. My dad passed away when I was about 10 years old. To help out, my Aunt Agnes spent a lot of time with us in the years that followed, and she was a master at storytelling. In the summer, we would sit on the front porch, and she would tell us stories about the family and we couldn’t get enough.

Believe it or not the other big influence on me was my high school football coach and physical education teacher. At the time he was one of the toughest guys I had ever met. We called him the Bear. As time went by I discovered he was indeed tough, but he was also a man of principles, conviction and heart. Our school didn’t have a regular gymnasium at the time, so when the weather was bad we had to stay indoors. Sometimes coach would read poetry to us or tell us stories. It usually had something to do with sports, but he showed me that being a strong man and enjoying storytelling and literature were not mutually exclusive.

Tell us about your book I Need You to Know and where you were in your writing career when you wrote this.
I’ve always wanted to write a book. It’s one of those things many of us think and talk about but never get around to. When I decided to leave the corporate scene in 2002, it afforded me time to take on some of the things on my personal “to do” list including writing and publishing a book.

They tell you to write about what you know. My career had been in the communications field, so I tried to draw on that experience. In corporate communications my time was spent helping the company and its leaders communicate with their audiences… employees, dealers, suppliers, the media and the public. I loved the automotive business, but wanted to write about something different. I decided to shift gears and go from corporate communications to romantic communications.

Now business communication is certainly not the same as romantic communication, but in many ways there are great similarities. In both cases you need to know your audience. You need to know your communication objectives, and you have to identify your key messages. You have to build trust and respect with your reader to be heard and to be effective.

Many of the selections in I Need You to Know were actually written over a 10 year period. I had started writing short romantic messages with the thought of one day creating a line of greeting cards. I assembled the poems and romantic expressions I had penned and realized that with a little additional work there was probably enough material to publish my first book. About one year later I Need You to Know went to press.

What writers and poets have influenced you throughout life?
I can’t say I have been influenced by any one writer or poet more than another. As they say “variety is the spice of life.” Both in literature and music I enjoy a variety of works and tend to move from one artist or genre to another depending on my mood and circumstance. That said, growing up on Mark Twain Street I couldn’t help but be influenced to some degree by his works. I think too, the fact that I always thought it cool for writers like Samuel Langhorne Clemens to have a pen name had an impact on my interest in someday becoming a writer.

Can you tell us briefly what your latest book, When One Door Closes, is all about?
When One Door Closes is the true story of a teen, a tragedy and a selfless wish that has touched the hearts of thousands around the world. One early fall day Alexandra (Alex) Graham came home from the mall complaining of pain in her knee. Three months later, at the age of 16, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. Her world and the world of those she loved would never be the same. Fighting osteogenic sarcoma, amputation of her leg and partial loss of lung Alex defines herself by who she is and the choices she makes, not by her illness. Over the course of a year, Alex did not get the miracle she wanted most, but her life and her selfless wish left the world a better place.

While the book is about facing a life threatening illness, it is intended for anyone facing a difficult life challenge or tragedy either personally or as a relative or friend of someone who is. It is written in a format reminiscent of the popular “Chicken Soup” series, and describes constructive ways to deal with adversity and loss. Through Alex’s story and inspirational quotes, readers discover ways to confront adversity, avoid needless guilt, live life with meaning, and bring comfort and inspiration to others.

How long did it take you to write your books?
As mentioned earlier, many of the elements of I Need You to Know were written over the course of many years. Once I decided to assemble and expand them into a book, it took about 18 months. When One Door Closes took about three years from start to finish. The most time consuming part of writing the book was in the research and documentation phase. It required approximately 100 face-to-face interviews and generated over 4000 pages of transcripts.

What have you learned about the publishing world?
I’ve learned that it is like many other aspirations in life. If you don’t start the race you will never cross the finish line. If you can’t run the entire course take a step at a time. Each step moves you closer to you goal.

Publishing is a big and complicated business, so it is easy to become discouraged. The good news is that technology has greatly improved opportunities to be published and market your work. Each year over 50,000 books are published by first time authors, so it is also important to set realistic goals. Don’t expect large retainers to show up in your mailbox or for your first effort to be recommended by Oprah. Define what success will look like for you and go for it.

Do you think there is a market for poetry?
Certainly there is a market for poetry, but like any genre it is important to know the unique ins and outs of connecting with the right kind of publisher, finding your readers and selling books. I do believe it is more difficult to find an interested publisher for poetry that for most other types of books. That’s why I think many poets write first for themselves… for the joy of creative expression. That’s also why I believe sharing and distribution channels such as TODAY’S WRITING are so important to encouraging and developing poets.

What is next for you in your writing career?
I began a novel with the working title Three Days in December shortly before becoming involved in the project to tell the Alex Graham story. Writing any book is time consuming, especially all the time spent on publishing and marketing. I had to set my novel aside while I worked on When One Door Closes, but now that it is finished I hope to complete my romance novel this year.

Do you have any words of inspiration for other writers who would like to publish a book?
Persist. Persist. Persist. In all honesty it is very difficult for a first time author to gain the attention of a major publisher, but don’t give up and don’t rule out small independent publishers or the possibility of self-publishing. In the meantime work on your craft, refine your manuscript, educate yourself about the publishing world and consider an agent that specializes in your genre.

Thank you for this interview, Hal. Please tell readers where they can find out more about your books?
I appreciate your interest in my work and the opportunity to share my thoughts. Thank you so much. You can find out a bit more about me and my books by visiting hthomassaylor.com and alexswish.com. My books are available to purchase at BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com.
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About the Author: Rose DesRochers is a published poet and freelance writer. Rose has been writing poetry for more than 20 years. She is also the founder of http://www.todayswriting.com, a supportive online writing community.